Selective-switch system for conveyers



Jul 14, 1,925 1,545,686

s. OLSON SELECTIVE SWITCH SYSTEM FOR CONVEYERS Fi1ed May 29, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet i July 14, 1925.

' S.'.OLSON I SELECTIVE swfi'cn SYSTEM FOR CONVEYERS Filed May 29, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES I 1,545,686 PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL OLSON & COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SELECTIVE-SWITCH SYSTEM FOR CONVEYERS.

Application filed May 29, 1922. Serial No. 564,348.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL OLSON, a citizen of the United States, and having residence at Chicago, in the county of Cook and the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective- Switch Systems for Conveyers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to automatic switching devices for conveyer systems and its obplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1, viewed from the plane indicated at line 2, 2, thereon.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken as indicated at line, on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation similar to Figure 2, showing a modified construction.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken as indicated atlinc, on Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a plan view of another modification of the invention showing it ap plied to a conveyor at two stations.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a part of the structure shown in Figure 6, as viewed from the plane indicated at line, 7-7, thereon.

Figure 8 is a detail section taken as in dicated at line, 88, on Figure 6.-

It may be understood that the loads to be carried by the horizontal conveyer belt, 1, are disposed in load carriers or boxes, 2,

of uniform dimensions and construction,

and that laterally associated with the con veyer belt, 1, there will be av plurality of sta tious such as those indicated by the platforms, 3 and 4, each extending laterally from the path of the belt, 1, preferably provided with a roller, 5, interposed to facilitate movement of the load-carrying boxes from the belt'onto the station plat-- form. In diverting any box, 2, from the normal direction of travel in which the belt, 1, moves, the frictional driving force of the conveyer belt'is employed in conjunction with the guiding effect of an obliquely disposed switch bar, 6, which is temporarily moved to extend across the belt, 1, in the path of an approaching carrier box, 2.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig ures-l, 2 and 3, each carrier box, 2,-is provided with a plurality of trip dogs, 7, pivotally carried upon a rod or bar, 8, which extends across the front end of the box, 2, so that the several trips, 7, are spaced laterally across the box, each occupying a definite position at a certain distance from the sides of the box. At each station a rock shaft, 9, 1s 1ournaled to extend over the belt, 1, above the path of theboxes carried thereby, and

such rock shaft has a rigidly depending trip arm, 10, extending low enough to encounter a certain one of the dogs, 7, .on any of the 'carrier boxes, 2, if the dog be adjusted to its upper position projecting above the top of the box. Thus, as the box, 2, travels under. the rock shaft, 9, the upwardly projecting dog, 7, by encounter with the trip arm, 10, rocks the shaft and swings its rocker arm, 11, to move the link, 12, and crank arm,1 3, by which the switch bar, 6, is suddenly thrown across the belt, 1, in the path of the box, 2, for diverting the box later ally over the roller, 5, a d onto the station platform.

Preferably each of the dogs, 7, is formed with a bent tail piece, 7, providing a delay surface which holds the switch bar, 6, in its operative position against the pull of the retracting spring, 14, until the box or carrier, 2, actually encounters the bar in the relation illustrated in Figure 1 opposite the station. 3. It'should be understood that at each station the depending trip arm, 10, is disposed in a different position transversely of the belt, 1, and that only one of the trips, 7, will be. swimg to its upward position at any time on any one load carrier box, 2. Therefore, the remaii'ling trips, 7, of the box are inoperative for the time being, and the out interference. Obviously, individual load carriers, 2, could be provided each with a single trip device, 7, adapted for switching purposes at one station only, but

it is preferable'to fit each load carrier, 2, with a complete set of trips, so that it may be routed to any station of the-series as desired by simply elevating the proper trip, 7.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modification in which the station trip arm is a lever, 15, fulcrumed on a horizontal pivot, 16, but depending below the top level of the load carrier, 20, and at one side of it for en counter with a laterally projecting button or roller, 21, on the carrier, 20. The switch bar, 6 is operated substantially as in the first described form of the invention through a connecting link, 22, the pivotal mounting of the'bar not being shown in the drawing.

At the station platform, 3, a roller, 5, is

provided and the belt. construction of the This arrangement thus providesfor routing a carrier box, 20, to any particular station simply by shifting its trip button, '21, into the proper hole, 24:.

swings about the vertical axis ofa' rock shaft or pivot, 26, instead of upon a horiload carrier,

as it passes this point. The bent end, 25'',

i countered it. Thereafter, of course, the pres'- sure of the box against the switch-bar, 6,

the trip lever, 25.

zontal axis, and extends over the box or 30. A switch bar, 6, is mounted to swing upon a, vertical axis exactly as in Figure 1, and its movement is controlled by a link, 27, connecting with trip or post, 31, preferably mounted in a socket fitting, 32, secured to a side wall of the box, and to avoid lateral displacemen /of the carrier, 3O, du'ring-.this action, as well as undue friction upon the lateral guide wall, 33, an antifriction roller, 34,

may be mounted opposite the trip lever, 25, to engage the opposite side wall of the .box

of the,lever, 25, serves as a delay surface to hold the Switch bar, 6, at its obliquely extending position across the belt, 1, until the further corner of the box has enwill hold it' in position until the box has passed over the roller, 5, and on to the sta- Figures 6,7 and 8 illustratea third form" ofthe invention, in which the trip lever, 25,

The carrier, 30, actuates the trip arm, 25, by means of an upstanding tion platform; then a retracting spring, 14,

will return the bar to a position alongside the path of the belt, as shown in the righthand portion of Figure 6.

The trip levers, 25,'at different stations of the system illustrated in Figure 6, will be disposed at different levels or distances above the plane of the belt, -1, so that unless the post, 31,"of a-particular load carrier,

30, is high enough to reach the level, 25,

at a givenstation, the box, 30, will pass on without being deflected from the belt.

By arranging the stationlevels, 25, in a graduated series, with the highest one nearest the starting end of the belt run, and

with the lowest one farthest removed from this point, the carrier boxes, 30, may be routed to any desiredstation by adjusting their trip posts, 31, to different heights. For this purpose, the post is made with a plurality of spaced apertures, 35, so that a cross pin may he slipped through any one of these apertures, just above thetop of the socket, 32,-t0 hold the ost more or less elevated to register'with t e proper trip arm, 25.

1. In a belt conveyer, a load carrier to travel on the belt, a stationlaterallyadjacent the path of belt travel, a switch bar movably mounted to permit of adjustment obliquely across the belt opposite said station for shuntin a load carrier off the belt toward said station, and means on the load 'carrier for so adjusting the switch bar.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, the adjusting means being arranged to antomatically move the switch bar into obliqueposition .as the load carrier approaches it.

3. In a belt conveyer a load carrier to travel on -the belt; a plurality of stations laterally adjacent the path of belt travel with a switch bar at each of said stations movably mounted to permit of adjustment obliquely across the belt for shunting a load carrier off the belt toward the station; an actuating member for each switch bar extending adjacent the ath of travel'of the load carrier on the be t, and means projecting from the load carrier'adapted to engage such actuating member of one of the switchbars, whereby the carrier-will be selectively shunted ofi to the station at that switch.

4. In the combination defined in claim 3 the different actuators being differently located in relation to the path of the load car-. rier said carrier having fixed means projectmg for encounter with one selected ac tuator, but dimensioned toavoid contact with theflother actuators which it passes in traveling toward'said selected actuator. on the belt.

5. In the combination defined in claim 3,

additional load carriers adapted for travel on the belt, and each provided with projectingmean's'adapted to engage an actuating member of one of the switch bars, said actuators being differently located in relation to the path of the load carriers, and the pro' jections of the difi'erent load carriers extendmg different distances for encounter with the actuators selectively.

inoperative position, and means on the carrier for adjusting said switch member into operative position as the carrier approaches it for causingthe switch member to shunt the carrier off the belt toward. the station.

7 In a belt conveyer, a plurality of load carriers to travel on the belt, a plurality of stations laterally adjacent the path of belt travel, a switch deviceassociated with each station and normally inoperative; actuating means for each switch device extending adjacent the path of travel of the load carriers on the belt, the different actuators being differently located in relation to said path of the carriers, and co-operating means on the carriers located at different positions respectively for selective encounter with the selected actuator.

9. In a belt conveyer, a load carrier to travel on the belt; a station laterally adjacent the path of belt travelfa switch de-- vice associated with said station\and normally inoperative, an actuator for the switch device mounted to swingabout a horizontal axis above the path of the carrier and depending therefrom, together with an standing projection on the carricr to encounter such' actuator for rendering the switch device operative with respect to said carrier.

10. In the combination defined in claim 9, additional'load carriers and additional stations with a switch device for each station, the actuators of the switch devices being disposed at difl'erentpositions trans versely of the belt, and the projecting means of the respective carriers being adapted to be presented at different transverse positions respectively, for selective registration with j the said actuators.

11. In the combination defined in claim 9, additional load carriers and additional stations with a switch device for each station, the actuators of the switch devices being disposed at ditterent positions transversely of the belt and the projecting means of each carrier, comprising a plurality of laterally spaced members adapted for individual adjustment into projecting position to adapt the carrier to actuate any selected switch.

12. In a belt conveyer, a load carrier to travel on the belt, and means for diverting the load carrier from the belt comprising a switch bar movably mountcd'to permit of adjustment obliquely across the belt for encounter with the carrier, and means on said load carrier for adjusting the switch bar to such encountering position as the carrier approaches it. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my. hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 22d day of May, 1922. I

' SAMUEL OLSON. 

